St. Patrick's Day is celebrated annually on March 17, marking the anniversary of the saint's death in the fifth century. St Patrick's Day was recognized as an official Christian holiday in the early 17th century and is celebrated by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Lutheran Church, and the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland). The day celebrates Saint Patrick, the most remembered saint in Irish heritage and culture who brought Christianity to Ireland.
St. Patrick's Day 2024 Date
St. Patrick's Day is granted as a public holiday in a few countries including the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador (for provincial government employees), Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widespread in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, particularly among the Irish diaspora. This year St. Patrick's Day will be observed on Sunday, 17 March 2024.
History of St. Patrick's Day
Since the ninth or 10th century, people in Ireland have been celebrating the Roman Catholic feast day of Saint Patrick’s Day on March 17. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in America's New York City, not in Ireland. History shows that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on 17th March 1601 in a Spanish colony which is now Florida's St. Augustine. A century later, on March 17, 1772, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched in honour of their Irish patron in New York City.
Who is St. Patrick
St. Patrick, who lived in the fifth century, was the patron saint of Ireland and the apostle of his people. Though he was born in Roman Britain, he was hijacked and brought as a slave to Ireland at the age of 16. He eventually escaped but returned to Ireland, where he was credited with bringing Christianity to his country.
Following Patrick's death (mostly believed on March 17, 461), the mythologies surrounding his life became increasingly ingrained in Irish culture. Probably the most famous legend of St. Patrick is his explanation of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and the Holy Ghost) is a native Irish clover, using the three leaves of the clover.
Saint Patrick's Day Meaning
St. Patrick's Day commemorates Saint Patrick who brought Christianity to Ireland. This day generally observes the inheritance, culture and legacy of the Irish people. Most celebrations include parades and public parties, the wearing of green clothing or clover and ceilithes.
How do Irish celebrate St. Patrick's Day?
The Irish celebrate St. Patrick's Day by attending parades, a céilí wearing green and shamrocks and drinking Irish whiskey and Irish beer.
Saint Patrick's Day parade
St Patrick’s Day begins in Ireland, with the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade held in Chicago, drawing more than 2 million spectators and participants. The United States, with its great Irish ancestry, has festivals, parades and events all over the country.
In 1848 several Irish Aid societies in New York decided to combine their parades to form an official parade in New York on St. Patrick’s Day. Currently, the parade is the world‘s oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States, with more than 150,000 participants. Each year, about 3 million people line the 1.5-mile parade route to witness the procession, which lasts more than five hours. Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, and Savannah mark the occasion with parades, each with between 10,000 and 20,000 participants.
Saint Patrick's Day colours
Gradually, green became the national colour of rebellion in Ireland, and the shamrock became a prominent symbol. The Irish flag has three block colours: green, white and orange. Among those green represents Catholics who rebelled against Protestant England. Thus, green symbolises Irish nationalism, orange represents the orange people of the north while the white represents peace. Irish Americans wear green as a reminder that they were nationalists first, Witt explained.
How to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day
There are numbers of ways you can celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. Here we added 3 best ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day:
1. Attend a Parade:
The first American colonial celebration of St. Patrick’s Day was in 1737 in Boston. It is now being celebrated throughout the states. So if possible, attend the parade.
2. Wear green and sport a Shamrock
As the Shamrock is closely associated with St. Patrick and so his teachings, it is now vastly used to represent Ireland. The Irish wore Shamrocks to show their Irish Christian pride and it soon evolved into wearing green to celebrate the occasion!
3. Eat Irish
Irish cuisine is one of the most famous cuisines in the world. To celebrate St. Patrick's Day enjoy any of this food:
- Shepherd's Pie
- Colcannon
- Irish soda bread
Happy St. Patrick's Day 2024 Wishes, Messages
As the Irish people celebrate Saint Patrick's Day with their hearts out here are the best St. Patrick's Day wishes and messages. Simply copy and share with your loved ones:
- I hope that the green of our clothing brings good luck and success to everyone. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
- Wish you a blessed St. Patrick’s Day! Be prepared for the sanctity of St. Patrick’s Day with shamrocks in green coats and green drinks!
- Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Let’s tie shamrocks to our coats and fill our glasses with green beer on this holy day!
- This holiday season, I sincerely wish you the luck of the shamrock and the blessings of the leprechaun. Happy St Patrick's Day!
Happy St. Patrick's Day 2024 Status, Captions
Let's sit back and enjoy the occasion by sharing these wishful Saint Patrick's Day statuses and captions:
- I hope you get the light touch of Irish luck and you are blessed with lots of success. Happy St Patrick’s Day!
- All green things are healthy and mentally comfy, and so is Saint Patrick’s Day.
- May shamrock petals bring you and your loved ones nothing but luck. Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
- Let’s always spend this beautiful day with sound health and good food together. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Happy St. Patrick's Day 2024 SMS, Quotes
Don't let this sacred day go without sharing St. Patrick's Day short messages (SMS) with your loved ones:
- Happy St Patrick’s Day! May your day be filled with rainbows, happiness, and success.
- Let’s cheer on our green bears, and wish all a safe season this year. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
- May this St. Patrick’s Day be filled with happiness and prosperity for you! Enjoy every moment of the occasion this year.
- May you and your family have a very happy St Patrick’s Day this year. Enjoy the blessings from the Saint on this day.
St. Patrick’s Day or Saint Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious celebration that takes place on March 17th. The Irish have celebrated it as a religious holiday for more than 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, Irish families traditionally attend church in the morning and then celebrate in the evening.